Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	christian_a	great_a	part_n	3,442	5	4.1248	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18071	The preachers trauels Wherein is set downe a true iournall to the confines of the East Indies, through the great countreyes of Syria, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Media, Hircania and Parthia. With the authors returne by the way of Persia, Susiana, Assiria, Chaldæa, and Arabia. Containing a full suruew of the knigdom [sic] of Persia: and in what termes the Persian stands with the Great Turke at this day: also a true relation of Sir Anthonie Sherleys entertainment there: and the estate that his brother, M. Robert Sherley liued in after his departure for Christendome. With the description of a port in the Persian gulf, commodious for our East Indian merchants; and a briefe rehearsall of some grosse absudities [sic] in the Turkish Alcoran. Penned by I.C. sometimes student in Magdalen Colledge in Oxford.	Cartwright, John, of Magdalen College, Oxford.	1611 (1611)	STC 4705; ESTC S107677	77,355	114

or Persia with the Caramanian desert as also the Kingdome of Lar which frontiers on Ormuz Prouinces so great and large that in ancient times were able with their multitudes to couer the face of the earth and to drinke the ●i●●ers drie And to make himselfe more strong within the bowels of his kingdome he hath subdued the Turcoman nation that were rebellious in his fathers time as also he hath ruinated the houses of most of his ancient nobilitie as of late Amet-chan Lord of Gheilan Rust●n M●r●ze the King of Candahar Emir-Miran the ●ord of Iest and Ebrain-chan the gouernour of Lar who would neuer in his fathers time Mahomet-Codibanda send in their aide against the cruell en●mies ●f their common liberty but impeach and molest their soueraigne as much as they could leauing many times the poore King to escape with his life But now the King hath drawne all the aforementioned prouinces into his owne poss●ssion and is able to carry all his force cl●ere without interruption which at the least may be two hundred thousand strong and better And for his souldiers they are for the most par● very valorous and noble which b●ing compared with the Tur●ish people who fo● the most par● are very ●●scall of vile race are by good right very highly to be esteemed For the naked Turkish horse-man is not to be compared with the Persian m●n at a●mes who comes into the field armed with a strong Cuiras a sure head peece and a good target whereas the Turkish Europeian ho●s●men altogether naked vse only a square or crooked buckler wherewith they doe scarcely couer themselues and the Asian horsemen bucklers ma●e of soft reeds wound round and couered with some kinde of silke Againe the Persian horseman weareth his poudrons and gantlets and beareth a staffe of good Ash armed at both ends fighting with them as occasion serueth at the staffe after the manner of the Numid●ans and with doubling and redoubling their often thrust from on high doe easily wound or kill the vnarmed Turks with their horses whereas the Turk●sh horseman after the manner of the Grecians doe couch their staues in their rest and so that the first course most commonly break the same being made of light and brittle fire and so presently come to their scima●ars or horseman mace being in all other things farre inferiour to the Persian man at armes And for the Turkish archers on horsebacke they are in no resp●ct to be compared with the Persians who are well mounted and surely a●med vsing both greater and stronger bowes and shoote more deadly arrowes making small account of the Turkes So that all things well consi●ered the Persian is now able to deale in field with the great Turke hauing both numbers of souldiers good store of shot and other warlike furniture as also which is the chiefest stay of a state obedience of his subiects And verily when Persia was at the weakest had not the Turkish Emperours Selymus Solyman and Amurat beene allured either by treason rebellion or intestine discordes they would neuer haue taken that warre in hand And so much of the Persians forces And as for the miserable thraldome that the poore Christians doe endure vnder the Turkish tyranny we thanks be giuen vnto God in these Northerne parts of the world may behold with safety but not without pitie when we rightly consider how that the people among whom our Sauiour himselfe conuersed at what time his beautifull steps honoured this world with those Churches in Grecia which his Apostles so industriously planted so carefully visited so tenderly cherished instructed and confirmed by so many peculiar Epistles and for whom they sent vp so many seruent prayers are now become a cage of vncleane birds filthy spirits doe possesse them The Turke with his Curaam and Mahomet with his Alcoran are Lords of these places So that now the Grecians haue lost their liberty which their ancestors had many times before to their immortall praise worthily defended against the greatest Monarches of the world and are now so degenerate by the meanes of the Turkish oppression that in all Grecia is hardly to be found any small remembrance of the ancient glory thereof Insomuch that whereas they were wont to account all other Natiōs barbarous in comparison of themselues they are now become no lesse barbarous then those rude nations whom they before skorned Infinite are the miseries which they from time to time haue endured vnder the Turkish tyrants and so great hath beene the fury of that barbarous Nation that no tongue is able to expresse or pen desc●ibe For what tongue is able to expresse the miseries that the poore Greekes indured when the imperiall Citie of Constantinople was taken and spoiled by Mahomet the great in the yeare 1453. when the cruell tyrant could not content himselfe with the spoile and riches of that faire Citie but caused also as he sate feasting with his Bassaes and great commaunders most of the chiefe Christian Captaines both men and women of whom many were of the Emperors line and race to be in his presence put to death deming his feast much more stately and magnificent by such effusion of Christiā bloud There might a man haue seene the poore Christian captiues driuen vp and downe by the mercilesse soldiers as if they had beene droues of cattell or flocks of sheepe It would haue pittied any strong heart to haue seene the noble Gentlewomen and great Ladies with ●heir beautifull children who flowed in all worldly wealth and pleasure to become the poore miserable bondslaues of most base and contemptible rascals who were so far 〈◊〉 shewing them any pity as that they delig●ted in nothing more then to heape more more misery vpon them making no more reckoning of them then of dogs There might the Parents see the wofull misery of their beloued children the childrē of the parents the husband might see the shameful abuse of his wife the wife of her husbād generally one friend of another yea such was their malice to the Christian faith that they cōuerted the temple of Sophia built for God to be honored in into a stable for their horses making it a place for the executiō of their abhominable vnspeakable filthinesse yea the image of the crucifixe they also tooke down put a Turks cap vpō the head therof so set it vp shot at it with their arrowes afterwards in great derision carried it about in their campe as it had beene in procession with drums playing before it rayling spitting at it calling it the God of the Christians which I note not so much done in contempt of the images as in despight of Christ the Christiā religion Neither haue they committed these outrages monstrous cruelties in Grecia alone but in other parts of Christendom also as Italy hath sundry times tasted of their cruell incursions bloudy inuasions Besides Seruia Bulgaria Transiluania Moldauia

Valachia do groane vnder the yoke of Trukish tyranny what should I write of Hungaria that royall kingdome since in the raigne of one Turkish Emperour I meane Solyman the magnificent the number of those which were slaine and caried ●nto miserable captiuity were welnigh two hundred thousand Hungariās So spoiled harried in this kingdom by the Turks that it may welbreed an astonishmēt not only to the neighbor countries adioyning but to others further remote So that to wind vp all in a word there i● now to be seene in these Christiā countries which the great Turke possesseth nothing but triumphs ouer Christ skorners of his religion insolencies and violences against the professors extortions and oppressions vpon their goods rapines and murderings vpon the very soules of their children a case to be wailed with teares of bloud by all Christiā harts that know it hearing the onely anchor stay of th●ir soules our blessed Sauiour daily derided blasphemed by the pride of the Turks Indeed it were a small thing if the Turks extorsiōs were only on their goods labors or if the bodies and liues of those poore Christians were onely wasted and worne out in his workes and slaueries it might be suffered for goods are transitory and death the end of all wordly miseries But to be forced as those poore countries are to pay a tribute also of soules to wicked Mahomet to haue their dearest children both sonnes and daughters snatcht out of their parents bosomes to be brought vp in his impious abhominations to be imploied after they are so brought vp in murdering their fathers and mothers that begat them and in rooting out that faith wherein they were borne and baptized and which onely were able to bring their soules into happinesse This surely is a calamity insupportable and which crieth out vnto God in the heauens for reliefe I will say no more touching this matter but euen wish with the humble petition of a minde pierced with griefe to the iust Iudge of the world Redeemer of mankind and Sauiour of his people to cast downe his pitifull eyes vpon those nations to behold on the one side his triumphing fierce enemies persecuting without measure on the other his poore seruants troden downe and persecuted without helpe hope or comfort to dissolue the pride and power of the one to comfort the astonished and wasting weakenesse of the other with some hope of succour and finall deliuery To inspire the hearts of Christian Princes their neighbours compounding or laying side their endlesse and fruitlesse contentions to reuenge their quarrell against their vniust oppressors For certainly if meane Princes haue incombred the course of the great Turks conquest what would not the vnited Christian forces doe if we might but once see the glorious beames of that bright shining day appeare Which vnion the Persian king hath often and instantly sought of the Christian Princes and that within these few yeares For first as we said before he sent Sir Anthony Sherley a man very wise and valiant if hee had not beene too prodigall After him in the yeare of grace 1605. hee sent three other seuerall Ambassadors one after another viz. Zincl Chan Beg Methi Cult Beg and Ius Bassi Hassan Beg. The two first came directly to the Emperour at Prage and the other was sent vnto the French King whose Embassie was for the common good also though it wanted the wished successe And to shew the great desire that the Persian still hath to haue the pride of the great Turke abated he hath since imployed Master Robert Sherley as his Ambassadour to the same purpose Neuer did Christendome misse times of more aduantage to haue preuailed much against the Turke not onely to haue holden their owne which they doe not in Hungary but to haue recouered some good part of their losses before receiued also And indeed true it is that the time then well serued for both by reason that the great Turke was and is still troubled with warres both against his owne rebels and the Persian King in Asia most part of his forces being turned that way But what auaileth opportunitie without vnitie For howsoeuer the Persian king did instantly request of the Emperour to ioyne with him in all fr●endship and brotherly loue and to continue his warres against the great T●rke their common enemy and also promised that for his part he would neuer lay down armes vntill that enemy were brought to nought and destroyed so that the Christian Princes would on the other side likewise impugne him and though the Emperour for his part did promise to continue his warres and to raise greater forces and also by letters to exhort and incite the greatest Christian Princes Potentates to extend also their power against the common enemy yet could hee not eff●ct it neither performe any part of his promise to the Persian King For the next yeare following seeing the Hungarians reuolted from him and taking part with the Turkes and the Turks with them and finding himselfe not able with his owne power to hold the field against them much lesse to maintaine a defensiue warre and his friends allies his wonted and greatest staies then at his greatest need to faile him was glad to leaue the Persian in the field to his owne strength and to conclude a reasonable peace with Achmet the great Turke that now raigneth being no way able without the great aide of other Christian Princes to withstand the huge and dreadful power of th● Othoman Emperour VVhich be it spoken without ominous presage is to be feared wil too truly appeare and manifest it selfe whensoeuer the wars of the great Turke and his troubles in the East with the Persian be ended he shall thē again turne his victorious insulting forces this way towards the West I conclude then that those distressed parts of Christendome which are subject to the Turkish fury cannot but be much beholding both to Sir Anthony Shirley as also his brother M. Robert Shirley for this twenty years peace which is concluded betweene the Emperour the great Turke They being I dare be bold to say vnder God the onely meanes that stirred vp the Persian king to take vp armes against the great Turke and to draw by degrees the whole warre vpon his owne necke therby to free and giue a time of breathing to the champions of Iesus Christ to refresh themselues and increase their forces A peace not only well pleasing to the Emperour but to the Turke also who no sooner heard from the the Bassa of Buda that it was concluded but forth with conceiued so great●oy that with a number of Ianiz●ries and others he went from his Pallace in Constantinople in great magnificence to the Church to giue thanks therfore vnto his Prophet Mahomet spending the next day in great sport pleasure purposing from thenceforth to turne all his force power for the subduing of the Persian king

to swallow vp and ouerwhelme the Towne for euery yeare it increaseth more and more and eateth vp many Gardens and Orchards albeit they vse all pollicy to diminish the same and to make it firme ground The description of Hamath THree dayes iourney from this Towne in the mid-way to Aleppo standeth Hamath a City of great Antiquity and very famous in the Scripture for it was deliuered vp into the hands of Dauid by Toi who was King of the same It standeth on a very goodly plaine replenished abundantly with cornemand cotton-wooll but is much ruinated and falleth more and more to decay and at this day there is scarse one halfe of the wall standing which hath beene very faire and strong but because it cost many mens liues to winne it the great Turke will not haue it repaired commanding these wordes to be set ouer the Castle gate which standeth in the midst of the Towne in the Arabian tongue Cursed be the Father and the Sonne that shall lay their hands to the repairing of this place The description of Antioch NOt farre from this Towne is the famous City Antioch which in ancient time was called Epidaphane or Epiphane and of the Hebrewes Reblatha sometime the Seate of the Syrian Kings and afterwards the Metropoliticall City of Syria hauing vnder it an hundred and fifty Bishops famous for many things but amongst the rest because it was the seate of the blessed Apostle St. Peter and because it was the first place where the professors of Christian religion tooke the name of Christians This City lyeth vpon the Riuer Orontes in Scripture called Farfar about twelue miles from the Sea and was once strongly fortified both by nature on the one side by high broken Mountaines and on the other side by Art being compassed about with a double wall the vttermost whereof is of hard stone of an huge bignesse and the other of bricke with foure hundred and sixty towers on the same and an impregnable Castle at the East-end thereof whereunto was ioyning a deepe lake comming out of the great Riuer which wa●ereth the South-side of the City But in the yeare of Grace 1187. Saladin Sultan of Aegypt dealt so cunningly with the Patriarke that by his meanes the Castle otherwise almost impregnable was for gold betrayed vnto him By meanes whereof Saladin in a short time became Lord and Master of that famous City which was hardly gained by the whole power of the Christians after eleuen moneths siege and with it fiue and twenty Cities moe that depended of the fortune thereof with all the Prouinces belonging thereunto and so now at this day the splendor and beauty thereof is altogether Eclipsed by the Turkes there resting and remaining in the midst of the ruinous walles a small village to be seene Close by the walles of this ruinous Towne runneth the Riuer Orontes which courseth through the large and spacious plaine of Antioch being numbred amongst the famous riuers of Syria whose bankes I haue viewed euen from his springing head to his maine channell which is neere to Selencia Pieria now called Soldin This riuer amongst the Turkes and Arabians hath quite lost his auncient name but because it runneth very swiftly in his course and hath many turnings and windings so that those that swimme in it are oftentimes drowned as though the poore riuer had in that respect the nature of a murderer therefore the Turkes and the Moores doe now giue it a name that expresly signifieth a murderer or traytor The description of Aleppo FRom this miserable towne we spent a dayes iourney and halfe to the rich and wealthy Citie of Aleppo which in ancient time was called Heliopolis and was that ancient Haram mentioned so often in Scripture The Moores doe call it Halip which in our tongue signifieth milke for the same Arabians doe say that it was so called for the abundance of milke which in the time of the Patriarkes was y●elded by the heards and flockes of cattell which fed in those champaines This Citie standeth in the Prouince of Camogena which runneth vp to Euphrates and to the confines of Armenia and is now become the third capitall citie of the Turkish Empire And well it may be so accounted since it is the greatest place of traffique for a dry towne in all those parts for hither resort Iewes Tartarians Persians Armenians Egyptians Indians many sorts of Christians all enioying freedome of conscience and bringing thither all kindes of rich merchandise the trade and trafficke of which place because it is so well known to most of our nation I omit to write of The ayre of this Citie is much pleasing and delightfull to a sound and healthfull body but very piercing and dangerous for such as haue receiued any contagion at Scanderon and therefore it is not good for any passenger to lie long at that roade but to hasten at his first arriuall so soone as he can vp farder into the Countrey This City lyeth vpon the Riuer Singa which as some report a Souldier of Grand Caire drew from Euphrates and hath a channell vnder ground which produceth many fountaines both publike and priuate yeelding no small pleasure and contentment to the inhabitants It containeth in circuit foure hils vpon one of which is raised a goodly Castle hauing a deepe ditch intrenched round about and a bridge ascending step by step with foure gates before you can passe into the Castle it selfe being guarded with a strong and sure garrison of foure or fiue hundred Ianizaries both to curbe the rebellion of the City and to keep it from forraigne inuasion The walles of this City are about three English miles in compasse and the suburbs almost as much more and round about for foure miles space are goodly Gardens Orchards and Vineyards which beare abundance of delicate fruits and of the best Wines which are notwithstanding very deare by reason of the quantity thereof that there is sold and eaten The number of people which resort to this City may easily be comprehended sith betweene the City and the suburbs in the yeare of Grace 1555. there dyed of the plague more then an hundred and twenty thousand persons in three Moneths No building of importance is here to be seen saue the Temples or Moschees and Caines all fabricated of hard quarry stone arched and vaulted with Cesternes full of water in the middest of the Courts In a word this City is one of the most famous Marts of the East the customes that are paied by our English nation the French the Venetians the huge Carauans which come from Balsara Persia Mecha are exceeding great and therefore may well obtayne the third place of the Turkish Empire Neuerthelesse it hath indured diuers changes and sundry alterations being in the yeare 1177. betrayed and taken from the Christians by Saladin Sultan of Damascus but afterwards in the yeare 1260. it was againe recouered by Haalon the Tartar who hauing receiued the Christian faith was sent

regard whereof Mahomet did recommend them as his kind friends to his successours who euer since haue permitted the poore Armenians to liue amongst them But the true reason is for that they are very laborious in transporting merchandise from one City to another by which meanes through the customes which are paid in euery City the coffers of the Grand Signior are wonderfully inriched Vnto which doth well agree that scoffing taunt which Abbas now King of Persia did throw vpon an Armenian who being desirous to forsake his Christian faith and to embrace the wicked and filthy superstition of the Persians vppon hope of reward and preferment the King did not only rebuke his tepedity and coldnesse in his religion but sent him away with this skornefull reproofe That an Armenian now was good for nought saue as a Camel to transport merchandise from one city to another implying that hows●euer in antique times they had beene warlike and couragious yet now they were become Buffelloes and Pultrones altogether vnfit for martiall affaires This people haue two Patriarkes to whom they giue the name of Vniuersall the one keepeth his seate in the City of Sis in Caramania not farre from Tharsus the other in the Monastery of Ecmeazin neere vnto the City Eruan in this Countrey Vnder these two Patriarkes are eighteene Monasteries full fraight with Friers of their religion and foure and twenty B●shopricks The maintenance allowed in times past vnto each of these two Patriarks was a Maidin on an house each Patriarke hauing vnder him twenty thousand housholds but now that large beneuolence the great Turke hath ceased into his owne hands as if the tythe of the Church were fitter for his vnsatiable desire then for those poore miserable and despised Church-men and therefore now they are constrained to liue on the almes of the people going continually in visitation from one City to another carrying their wiues and whole family with them The people of this nation haue retained amongst them the Christian faith as it is thought from the time of ●he Apostles but at this day it is spotted with many absurdities They hold with the Church of Rome in the vse of the Crosse affirming it to be meritorious if they make the same with two fingers as the Papists vse but idle and vaine if with one finger as the Iacobites They adorne their Churches in euery place with the signe of the Crosse but for other Images they haue none being professed enemies against the vse of them In keeping ancient reliques they are very superstitious and much deuoted to the ●lessed Virgin Mary to whom they direct their prayers They imitate the Dioscorians in eating whit-meats on Saturday which to doe on Wednesday and Friday were a deadly sin neuerthelesse they will not refraine from the eating of flesh on euery Friday betweene the feast of the Passeouer and the Ascention They abstaine fiue Sabboths in the yeare from eating flesh in remembrance of that time in which the Gentiles did sacrifice their children vnto Idols They celebrate the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on the sixt of Aprill the Natiuity of our blessed Sauiour on the sixt of Ianuary the Purification the fourth of February and the Transfiguration the fourteenth of August The ministration of their Liturgie or seruice is performed in their natiue language that all may vnderstand but in their seruice of the Masse for the dead they are most idolatrous vsing at the solemnizing thereof to sacrifice a Lambe which they first lead round about the Church and after they haue killed it and rosted it they spread it on a faire white linnen cloath the Priest giuing to each of the Congregation a part and portion thereof For which cause they are called by some Sabbatists and Iulianists as too much addicted to the ceremonies of the Iewes and deuoted to the errours of Iulian. I haue heard some Papists boast and bragge much that both Armenians Iacobites and Greoians are vnited to the Chu●ch of Rome but I could neuer heare either Armenian or Grecian●uouch ●uouch any such matter They are vnlesse some few families so farre from yeelding obedience vnto the Sea of Rome that they assume all antiquity vnto themselues as hauing retained the Christian faith from the time of the Apostles Many Iesuites and Priests haue been sent from Rome to bring this oppressed nation vnder her gouernment but they haue little preuailed for neither will they yeeld obedience nor be brought by any perswasion to forsake their ancient and inueterate errours to become more erroneous with her Hauing well refreshed our s●lues amongst these villages we proceeded in our ordinary trauell but ere we had passed two miles certaine troupes of Curdies incountred our Carauan with a purpose and intent to haue robbed the same but finding themselues too weake to contend with so great company they departed vntill the next day following when againe they met with vs in a very narrow passage betweene two mountaines where they made a stay of our whole Carauan exacting a Shaughee on euery person which to purchase our peace wee willingly paied and so arriued that euening at Bithlis an ancient City but a City of much cruelty and oppression where little iustice and right is to be found to releeue distressed passengers The description of Bithlis THis City standeth in a pleasant valley by which runneth a little Riuer falling out of the mountaines Anti-Taurus it was once a Towne in the confines of the Persian Kingdome bordering vpon Mesopotamia and had a Castle kept with a garrison of Persian Souldiers before such time as Solyman the Magnificent did conquer these Countries which was in the yeare 1535. In which yeare there was a memorable battell fought betweene the two great Bassaes of Caire and Syria conducted by Vlemas the Persian Traitor and Delymenthes a right Nobleman of Persia. The two Bassaes and Vlemas were commanded by Solyman in his returne from the spoile of Tauris to follow him with eighteene thousand good Souldiers in the rereward of his army to receiue and represse the sudd●n assaul●s of the Persians if neede should require But Delymenthes with fiue thousand Persian Souldiers pursued the Turkes and ouertooke them in the aforesaid valley and being furthered in this venterous designement both by the darkenesse of the night and the abundance of raine which fell at the same instant as if it had beene wished for on a sudden go● within the Turkes campe where the Persian Souldiers as Wolues amongst Sheepe did such speedy execution amongst the sleepy Turkes that the two great Bassaes and Vlemas had much adoe to get to horse and saue themselues by flight And such was the fury of the Persians and the greatnesse of the sudden feare increased by the darkenesse of the night that the Turkes not knowing which way to turne themselues or what to doe were slaine by thousands some sleeping some halfe waking some making themselues ready to fight and to flie few of all that great